Coalition Interoperability, Assurance & Validation (CIAV)

Problem Space: CIAV is a Multi-National Initiative to increase the exchange of critical Common Mission Thread (CMT) Warfighting Information and improve overall interoperability in order to allow coalition forces to fight more effectively and efficiently. Each NATO Partner has established a Representative Environment which can be configured to conduct Assurance and Validation of Services to improve the services on the Mission Networks, utilising concepts that ensure work undertaken is Mission-based and not systems or network reliant, is Service Orientated not Application-based and utilises a Common Standards-based approach to facilitate the broadest spectrum of users. This Initiative is also being utilised to support transition towards a Federated Networks Model and to conduct Operational De-risking.

Solution: UK CIAV falls under the authority of UK MoD JFC ISS Ops Plans based in Corsham. Oculus Limited are the appointed contract holders. Their CIAV process is the culmination of three years of assurance activity. As the initiative has matured, so have the processes. At a meeting of the International CIAV community in Dec 12 all of the identified international ‘best practices’ were incorporated into a series of documents. It was also identified at this time for the initiative to gain further credibility and legitimacy, the following attributes must be inherent within the process: Repeatable / Consistent / Predictable / Measurable. Having these four requirements for the process strengthened the collective, as all nations, by using the same process to conduct their business. All nations can move towards the desired end state of events while being able to be compared and allow capabilities to be measured against each other. It was also recognised at this time that effective Enterprise Architecture was an essential requirement.

Result: AsystsU Limited has been sub-contracted by Oculus Limited to provide architectural support to the UK CIAV Initiative. For over eighteen months, AsystsU personnel have worked collaboratively as integrated members of the UK CIAV Team, providing national and international support to all aspects of CIAV delivery. Successful results have been obtained by Architecturally Modelling the full CIAV process and in supporting the UK Enterprise Architectural involvement in International CIAV Environments.